TOY - Trainers Online for Youth
This is a reference for Rachel Hurtado
The TC intended to guide the group of youth workers to become good examples for their youngsters in the fight against radicalization and intolerance, while presenting, at the same time, an opportunity for them and their organizations to boost their intercultural dimension and their ability to accept diversity.
The project aimed to:
-work on the understanding and acceptance of differences in order to avoid prejudice, conflicts and hate speech, as well as on the understanding of the emotions behind those human behaviours as the way to prevent discrimination and bullying.
-forge multipliers that will spark those with whom they will interact to be more understanding and open to differences.
-provide participants with tools, skills and methods with which to help on fighting discriminatory attitudes in and within their youngsters.
16 youth workers over 21 years of age and able to transfer what they learnt in their community (association(s), groups, young people, etc.), from Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Romania and Turkey.
The process started with activities designed to gain awareness on their own standpoint. Later on, I specially used techniques for debating to broaden their critical thinking and a exchange of knowledge and opinions between peers. I created spaces to share proposals and working methods, as well as to find solutions as personal and/or professional situations they were struggling with. We included reflection in couples, and used the YouthPass.
Perhaps the most successful (and beautiful) moment to me was witnessing how a person that had defined himself against the LGBT community, reach the level to not only consider gays acceptable, but to be able to joke about him being gay. Unforgettable.
I was the main trainer of the project.
I wrote the project together with the organizer.
Together with a junior trainer, I prepared, and reviewed daily the program of activities in order to bring the changes needed to adapt to the participants needs, and other external factors.